The present invention relates to a multi-articulated industrial robot with several degrees of freedom of movement, and more precisely to a new combined control system for the rotating and raising movements of the robot operating arms.
Industrial robots are usually defined as machines adapted to carry out manipulating and handling operations on workpieces according to a precise control cycle using, in order to carry out such operations, an operating head which can be oriented in accordance with desired positions within a predetermined working area.
Usually the robot is equipped with arms having several degrees of freedom of movement and is therefore able to orient itself to any position within a predetermined space.
Generally, the tools carrying head is placed at one end of a movable arm, and can move in the space along two or three coordinates, as mentioned before, and moreover assume several angular postures.
It is clear from the above that industrial robots are able to move along more than one independent axis, correspondently driven by as many actuators.
Generally, in order to carry out such linear displacements it is resorted to hydraulic, pneumatic or electromechanical jacks or other equivalent means.
As a rule, robots are built up by a base structure on which a column is mounted, generally rotatable about its axis and supporting an arm at its top, this latter being hinged around a horizntal rotation axis in order to achieve a swing of the arm upward or downward.
Such movements, while in most cases are wide enough and such as to allow the robot to reach the several positions required to carry out the scheduled operations, can sometimes prove to be limited in particular operations, and this can be overcome through the use of additional robots or through subsequent working operations.
Although the addition of particular devices or equipments to the basic structure of the robot leads to a better functionality, nevertheless it can limit the robot operative features by slowing down the operating speed or by limiting the movements or the working accuracy.